Police: Auburn man was drunk in crash that left motorist critically injured

Monday

Nov 12, 2012 at 6:00 AMNov 12, 2012 at 9:38 AM

An Auburn man is under arrest on drunken driving charges after he allegedly left the scene of a crash on Interstate 290 early yesterday morning in which a Connecticut man was left in critical condition.

Keith Leblanc of Auburn has been charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, driving drunk causing serious injury, negligent driving, speeding and other motor vehicle offenses stemming from the 4:30 a.m. crash on I-290 west at Exit 9 in Auburn.

State police troopers from the Holden barracks were called to the area for a report of a crash and found a man who had been ejected from his vehicle, state police said in a news release.

The 45-year-old Putnam man was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center University Campus in Worcester, where he was in critical condition yesterday. He was not identified.

“Based upon the initial investigation by troopers on scene, the driver of a second vehicle, a 2006 Jeep, was identified, located and arrested,” state police said.

Mr. Leblanc is being held on $5,000 cash bail and will be arraigned in Central District Court tomorrow. The roadway was closed until 7 a.m. while authorities investigated the crash.